Attachment for making buttonholes



Feb. 8, 1966 YASUKATA EGUCHI 3,233,569

ATTACHMENT FOR MAKING BUTTONHOLES Filed March 6, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. jqraa/a. fimf Feb. 8, 1966 YASUKATA EGUCHI 3,233,569

ATTACHMENT FOR MAKING BUTTONHOLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 6, 1962 PAIOIPART INVENTOR. junk-up.

the buttonhole.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,233,559 Patented Feb. 8, 1966 3,233,569 ATTACHMENT FOR MAKING BUTTONHOLES Yasukata Eguchi, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Janome Sewing Machine Co., Ltd., Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan Filed Mar. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 177,766 Claims priority, application Japan, Mar. 10, 1961, 36/ 8,464 7 Claims. (Cl. 11277) The present invention relates to an attachment for making buttonholes on a sewing machine, and more particularly to a device which is attached to the presser member of the sewing machine and considerably facilitates the guidance of the fabric and the proper placing of the stitches along a buttonhole in the fabric.

Stitching along a slit in a fabric for the purpose of forming a reinforced edge of a buttonhole is avery frequent operation. A presser foot is attached to the presser member of the sewing machine, and resiliently abuts the fabric so that the same is engaged and transported by the feeding means. Since the transported fabric must slide along the bottom face of the presser foot, it is pulled, tensioned, and irregularly stretched during the stitching of Consequently, considerable skill is required to guide the fabric properly, and the operator is required to hold the fabric with her fingers in order to properly locate the buttonhole slit opposite the oscillating needle, and to correct the somewhat irregular and uneven feed movement. The handling of the fabric by the operator is undesirable, and moreover the operation requires a certain skill and attention, although very precise and uniform fine stitches cannot be obtained.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the conventional sewing machines, and to provide a simple attachment for a conventional sewing machine permitting precise stitching of a buttonhole by an unskilled operator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for a sewing machine which eliminates any irregular pulling of the fabric during the stitching of a buttonhole.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for a sewing machine which permits the stitching of buttonholes Without any handling of the fabric by the operator.

With these objects in view, one embodiment of the invention is an attachment for a sewing machine having feeding means for a fabric and a presser member in the region of the needle. The presser member is spring-loaded in a conventional manner, and can be moved by the operator between an inoperative position in which the fabric is placed on the feeding means, and an operative position advanced toward the feeding means and adapted to exert resilient pressure. In accordance with the present invention, a presser foot means is attached to the presser member and has first guide means. A support rests on the fabric in the region of the feeding means and has pressure faces engaged by the first guide means so that the resilient pressure of the presser member in the operative position thereof is transmitted to the support through the first and second guide means whereby the support is pressed against the fabric. When the feeding means are operated, the support is transported together with the fabric and moves relative to the presser foot means and to the needle of the sewing machine.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the support is elongated and has two lateral members formed with guide ways, While the presser foot means include rollers running on pressure faces in the guide ways and transmitting the resilient force of the presser member to the support so that the support is pressed against the upper surface of the fabric whose lower surface is engaged by the feeding means.

Since the support moves with the fabric, and since the lateral members of the support are located on 0pposite sides of the feeding means, the fabric moves smoothly, and is not deformed in the region of the slit which is to be stitched to form a buttonhole.

Preferably, the bottom face of the support has longitudinally extending guide projections so that the support cannot be transversely displaced on the fabric. Stop means are provided at the ends of the support, and block movement of the same by engaging the presser foot means in two end positions in which the needle is located at the ends of the buttonhole.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together, with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partially in section of line 11 in FIG, 2, and illustrating an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view, partly in cross section of line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partly in section, and illustrating the embodiment of FIG.1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a part modified in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a plan view on a reduced scale illustrating the attachment during operation; 1

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 88 in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view illustrating the stitching along a buttonhole.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional presser foot construction.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1-4 and 5, a support 1 includes two channelshaped lateral members 12 whose confronting surfaces are formed as guide Ways 11. A bottom wall 1a connects one pair of ends of the lateral members 12 with each other so that the bottom of the support has an elongated opening 16. As best seen in FIG. 8, support 1 is placed on a fabric 28 in such a position that the feeding means 7 are located in the opening 16. Between the bottom face of support 1, and the feeding means '7, a fabric 28 is located which slides on cover plate 25 and 26. The bottom face of the support has longitudinal guide projections 14 which extend over the transverse bottom wall portion la and along the lateral members 12. The guide projections 14 prevent lateral sliding of support 1 on the fabric 28.

Screws 15 are mounted in threaded holes at the ends of the lateral members 12, and have portions projecting in the region of the opening 16.

A spring-loaded presser member 3 forms part of a conventional sewing machine, and can be raised to an inoperative position and lowered to an operative position. A conventional presser foot having an attaching portion 10 and a foot portion 9 is shown in FIG. 10. When the presser member 3 with the conventional presser foot means 9, 10 is lowered to the operative position, resilient pressure is exerted on the fabric so that the same has to slide on the bottom face of the foot portion 9, and is irregularly stressed.

In accordance with the present invention, a novel presser foot means 2 is provided which includes an attaching portion 2a having a cutout 2b through which the threaded stem of an attaching screw 4 passes. A depression 17 in the attaching means 2a receives a correspondingly formed end portion 26) of the presser member 3. The end of the threaded stem of screw 4 extends into a threaded hole in end portion 20, so that by turning of screw 4, the attaching portion 2a is detachably attached to the lower end of presser member 3.

A foot portion 18 projects from the attaching portion 2a and has a fiat part formed with a transversely extending slot 19 for the needle of the sewing machine. A passage 24 is connected to slot 19.

A pair of guide members 5, shown to be rollers, are mounted on journals 21 which are provided at the ends of a pin 21a passing through the foot portion 18. The guide rollers 5 run in the guide ways 11 of lateral members 12 on a pair of horizontal pressure faces which are parallel to cover plate 25, 26 and to the bottom face of support 1, and transmit the pressure of the spring-loaded presser member 3 to support 1 when the presser member 3 is lowered to its operative position. Consequently, the support 1, and more particularly its bottom face, is pressed against the fabric, and when the feeding means 7 are operated, not only the fabric 28, but also the support 1 will travel with the fabric in the feeding direction, while the rollers 5 roll in guide ways 11 until engaged by stop screws 15.

A guide means in the form of a pin 6 is mounted at the lower end of attaching portion 2a, and has ends 22 and 23 slidably engaging the vertical inner lateral surfaces of the guide Ways 11 of lateral members 12. Guide means 6, 22, 23 assure a straight movement of rollers 5 in guide ways 12 without any binding or edging and prevent turning support 1 relative to the presser foot portion 13 about the lines of engagement with guide rollers 5.

As explained above, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, a transverse bottom wall 1a is provided at one end of the support 1. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, a narrow bottom wall 8 connects the lateral members 12 at the other end of the support, and closes the opening 16'.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the lowest part of foot portion 18 is located below the top edge 31 of transverse bottom wall 1a, and the traverse bottom wall 8 of the embodiment of FIG. 6 has the same thickness so that the inner edge of bottom wall 8 is also located at the height of the foot portion 18.

The attachment is used and operated in the following manner: It is intended to stitch a button hole in the manner shown in FIG. 9 so that small amplitude stitches are formed by the oscillating needle in the direction a along a side of the buttonhole and parallel to the line of symmetry PP. At one end of the buttonhole, longer bar tack stitches b are made, whereupon the direction of the feed is reversed and the machine is set to perform small amplitude stitches so that the stitches in the direction of the arrow are formed on the other side of the buttonhole. At the other end of the buttonhole, longer bar tack stitches d are made to close the buttonhole. When the longer stitches b and d are made, the feeding means does not transport the fabric.

The attaching portion 2a is attached to the presser member 3, and screw 4 is tightened. Support 1 is placed in a position in which the feeding means is located within opening 16, or opening 16'. The fabric 28 is positioned between the bottom face of support 1 and the cover plates 25 and 26 while the presser member 3 is raised, and support 1 is moved to a position in which the guide rollers abut the stop screw means in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, or the transverse bottom wall 8 in the embodiment of FIG. 6.

The presser member 3 is now lowered in a conventional manner, so that the resilient pressure of the presser member 3 presses guide rollers 5 down onto the lower track portions of the guide ways 11 so that the bottom face of support 1 is pressed against the fabric. When the machine is operated in this condition of the attachment, the feeding means starts operating in forward direction, and the needle, not shown, performs an oscillating small stitch in the opening 19. The feeding means 7 transports the fabric, and since the friction between the bottom face of support 1 and the fabric is greater than the rolling friction between guide rollers 5 and guide ways 11, support 1 travels with the fabric in the direction of the arrow a in FIG. 9, and to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 while the rollers 5 roll on the lower tracks of the guide ways 11. Consequently, a row of small amplitude stitches can be formed on one side of the buttonhole, while the fabric is transported without any friction so that the row of stitches is uniformly and precisely made. When support 1 and fabric 28 arrive in the position in which opening 19 and the needle, not shown, are located at the end of the buttonhole, foot portion 18 runs against the edge 31 of the transverse bottom wall 1a, which constitutes a stop means blocking the movement of the support 1. The feeding means 7 and the stitch amplitude are now set to produce longer stitches without any feed of the material, so that the longer bar tack stitches b are made. Thereupon, the feeding direction is reversed so that the fabric is transported in the opposite direction, and moves support 1 in the same direction, While rollers 5 roll on the lower tracks guide ways 11 until the stop screw means 15 run against the guide rollers 5, and stop movement of support 1. The machine is set to stop the feeding movement and the end of the buttonhole is stiched at d. From the above description it will become apparent that the first guide means 5 transmit the pressure of the presser member 3 to the horizontal pressure faces of guide ways 11 of support 1 so that the unavoidable frictional engagement does not place between the fabric and a presser foot.

Due to this fact, precise fine stitching of buttonholes can be obtained, and the operator need not adjust the fabric to control the proper formation of the stitches along the buttonhole.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of sewing machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a sewing machine attachment for making buttonholes, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a zig-zag sewing machine having feeding means for a fabric and a presser member movable to and from an operative position advanced toward said feeding means, an attachment for making buttonholes, comprising a presser foot means attached to said presser member and having a first guide means and second guide means spaced in said feeding direction from said first guide means; and an elongated support extending in the direction of the feeding movement and having a bottom face formed with longitudinal guide projections adapted to rest on the fabric in the region of said feeding means and having elongated pressure face means eXtend ing in said feeding direction and engaged by said first ported together with the same in longitudinal direction thereof by said feeding means and moves relative to said presser foot means while transverse relative movement between said support and the fabric during zig-zag stitching is prevented by said longitudinal guide projections and turning of said support relative to said presser foot means is limited by said second guide means.

2. In combination with a sewing machine having feeding means for feeding a fabric in a feeding direction, and a presser member movable to and from an operative position advanced toward said feeding means, an attachment for making buttonholes, comprising a presser foot means including a foot portion located opposite said feeding means and having a transverse slot for a needle, means for attaching said foot portion to said presser member, a pair of guide members mounted on said foot portion and located on opposite sides of the same, and guide means mounted on said presser foot means spaced from said guide members in said feeding direction; and a support having a vpair of lateral members, and transverse means connecting said lateral members, said support having a bottom face adapted to rest on the fabric on the region of said feeding means so that said feeding means and said foot portion are located between said lateral members, said lateral members having confronting guide ways receiving said guide members, respectively, said guide way having a pair of pressure faces parallel to said bottom face in contact with said guide members, and a pair of lateral faces outwardly of said guide members and being slidably engaged by said guide means spaced from said pressure faces of said guide way, so that the pressure of said presser member in said operative position is transmitted through said guide members to said pressure faces and to said support in such a manner that said support is pressed against the fabric, said guide ways extending in the direction of the feeding movement of the fabric so that said support is transported with said fabric by said feeding means and moves relative to said foot portion while said guide members move in said guide ways and said guide means permit limited turning movement of said support relative to said foot portion of said presser foot means whereby binding is prevented.

3. In combination with a zig-zag sewing machine having a cover plate, feeding means for feeding a fabric in a feeding direction along said cover plate, and a presser member movable toward and away from said feeding means, an attachment for making buttonholes, comprising a presser foot means including a foot portion having an opening for an oscillating needle, means for attaching said presser foot means to said presser member, and a pair of guide members mounted on said foot portion located on opposite sides of the same; a support having a bottom face resting on said fabric and including a pair of lateral members formed with confronting guide ways extending in said feeding direction and receiving said guide members so that said foot portion is located between said lateral members, said guide ways having a pair of pressure faces parallel with said cover plate, and lateral faces located outwardly of said guide members, said guide member being in pressing contact with said pressure faces; and a pair of guide means mounted on said pressure foot means on opposite sides of said foot portion spaced in said feeding direction from said guide members and slidingly engaging said lateral faces of said guide ways spaced from said pressure faces thereof whereby limited turning movement of said support relative to said foot portion of said presser foot means is possible so that binding is prevented.

4. In combination with a zig-zag sewing machine having a feeding means for feeding a fabric in a feeding direction, and a presser member movable toward and away from said feeding means, an attachment for making buttonholes, comprising a presser foot means including a foot portion having an opening for an oscillating needle; means for attaching said presser foot means to said presser member, and a pair of guide rollers mounted on said foot portion located on opposite sides of the same; a support having a bottom face resting on said fabric and including a pair of lateral members formed with confronting guide channels extending in said feeding direction and receiving said guide rollers so that said foot portion is located between said lateral members and so that said support can turn relative to said presser foot means about said guide rollers; and a pair of guide pins having a smaller diameter than said guide rollers and mounted on said pressure foot means on opposite sides of said foot portion spaced in said feeding direction from said guide rollers and slidingly engaging said guide channels whereby binding of said guide rollers is prevented while relative turning movement between said support and said presser foot means is limited by engagement of said guide pins with said guide channels.

5. In combination with a zig-zag sewing machine having a feeding means for feeding a fabric in a feeding direction, and a presser member movable toward and away from said feeding means, an attachment for making buttonholes, comprising a presser foot means including a foot portion having an opening for an oscillating needle, means for attaching said presser foot means to said presser member, and a pair of guide rollers mounted on said foot portion located on opposite sides of the same; a support having a bottom face resting on said fabric and formed with elongated guide projections extending in said feeding direction so as to prevent relative movement between said support and said fabric transversely to said feeding direction during zig-zag stitching, said support including a pair of lateral members formed with confronting guide channels extending in said feeding direction and receiving said guide rollers so that said foot portion is located between said lateral members and so that said support can turn relative to said presser foot means about said guide rollers; and a pair of guide pins having a smaller diameter than said guide rollers and mounted on said pressure foot means on opposite sides of said foot portion spaced in said feeding direction from said guide rollers and slidingly engaging said guide channels whereby binding of said guide rollers .is prevented while relative turning movement between said support and said presser foot means is limited by engagement of said guide pins with said guide channels.

6. In combination with a zig-Zag sewing machine having a cover plate, feeding means for feeding a fabric in a feeding direction along said cover plate, and a presser member movable toward and away from said feeding means, an attachment for making buttonholes, compris ing a presser foot means including a foot portion having an opening for an oscillating needle, means for attaching said presser foot means to said presser member, and a pair of guide rollers mounted on "said foot portion located on opposite sides of the same; a support having a bottom face resting on said fabric and including a pair of lateral members formed with confronting guide ways extending in said feeding direction and receiving said guide rollers so that said foot portion is located between said lateral members, said guide ways having a pair of pressure faces parallel with said cover plate, and lateral faces located outwardly of said guide rollers, said guide rollers being in rolling contact with said pressure faces; and a pair of guide means mounted on said pressure foot means on opposite sides of said foot portion spaced in said feeding direction from said guide rollers and slidingly engaging said lateral faces of said guide ways spaced from said pressure faces thereof whereby limited turning movement of said support relative to said foot portion of said presser foot means is possible so that binding is prevented.

7. In combination with a zig-zag sewing machine having feeding means for feeding a fabric in a feeding direction, and a presser member movable toward and away from said feeding means, an attachment for making buttonholes, comprising a presser foot means including a foot portion having an opening for an oscillating needle, means for attaching said presser foot means to said presser member, and a pair of guide rollers mounted on said foot portion located on opposite sides of the same; a support having a bottom face resting on said fabric and including a pair of lateral members formed with confronting guide Ways extending in said feeding direction and receiving said guide rollers so that said foot portion is located between said lateral members while said guide rollers roll in said guide ways, and a transverse member connecting said lateral members and having one edge limiting movement of said support with the fed fabric by engaging said foot portion in one end position of said support while said guide rollers roll in said guide ways; and a pair of guide means mounted on said pressure foot means on opposite sides of said foot portion spaced in C9 said feeding direction from said guide rollers and slidingly engaging said guide Ways whereby binding of said guide rollers is prevented, said guide means being disposed higher than said transverse member whereby the same passes under said guide means during movement of said support with the fed fabric so that movement of said support to said end position is not obstructed by said guide means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,605,711 11/1926 Garrett 112-80 2,645,191 7/1953 Connors 1l277 3,113,535 12/1963 Bono 112-68 FOREIGN PATENTS 569,762 11/1957 Italy.

OTHER REFERENCES German application 1,044,570, Berthold, printed Nov. 20, 1958, K1. 52a 18/08 (2 sheets of dwgs, 1 p. spec). ROBERT V. SLOAN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS J. HICKEY, JORDAN FRANKLIN,

Examiners. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A ZIG-ZAG SEWING MACHINE HAVING FEEDING MEANS FOR A FABRIC AND A PRESSER MEMBER MOVABLE TO AND FROM AN OPERATIVE POSITION ADVANCED TOWARD SAID FEEDING MEANS, AN ATTACHMENT FOR MAKING BUTTONHOLES, COMPRISING A PRESSER FOOT MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID PRESSER MEMBER AND HAVING A FIRST GUIDE MEANS AND SECOND GUIDE MEANS SPACED IN SAID FEEDING DIRECTION FROM SAID FIRST GUIDE MEANS; AND AN ELONGATED SUPPORT EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE FEEDING MOVEMENT AND HAVING A BOTTOM FACE FORMED WITH LONGITUDINAL GUIDE PROJECTIONS ADAPTED TO REST ON THE FABRIC IN THE REGION OF SAID FEEDING MEANS AND HAVING ELONGATED PRESSURE FACE MEANS EXTENDING IN SAID FEEDING DIRECTION AND ENGAGED BY SAID FIRST GUIDE MEANS AND LATERAL FACES ENGAGED BY SAID SECOND GUIDE MEANS SPACED FROM SAID PRESSURE FACE MEANS SO THAT THE PRESSURE OF SAID PRESSER MEMBER IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION IS TRANSMITTED TO SAID SUPPORT IN SUCH A MANNER THAT SAID SUPPORT IS PRESSED AGAINST SAID FABRIC AND IS TRANSPORTED TOGETHER WITH THE SAME IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION THEREOF BY SAID FEEDING MEANS AND MOVES RELATIVE TO SAID PRESSER FOOT MEANS WHILE TRANSVERSE RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT AND THE FABRIC DURING ZIG-ZAG STITCHING IS PREVENTED BY SAID LONGITUDINAL GUIDE PROJECTIONS AND TURNING OF SAID SUPPORT RELATIVE TO SAID PRESSER FOOT MEANS IS LIMITED BY SAID SECOND GUIDE MEANS. 